Last car maker out, No more car manufacturing in Aussie

[SonOf]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-10/toyota-to-pull-out-of-australia-sources/5250114

Well Toyota is out so that leaves us without a car industry. Feel sorry the other associsted industries in Aussie who relied on them.

Makes you think, labour etc must be dirt cheap elsewhere to make it cheaper to freight complete units than to manufacture here.

[megatexture]

I saw a documentary on oil rig manufacturing and they made them in South America and basically sunk a ship put them over it brought up the ship and transported them to Canada it was a very interesting operation that apparently saved them millions per rig.. If it’s not making a profit something’s got to give.

[paulyg]

Dam shame, so many skills will be lost.

[klompy]

Makes you wonder where it all will end,its just greed you dont see prices coming down at all.

[mudnut]

No Aussie owned processed fruit and veg, no Aussie built vehicles. Privatised services (still yet to reap the benefits of that), foreign companies buying up huge tracts of our land and properties. Fracking for short term profit and the retail industry on its way out. Dumping mining waste in a world heritage area and I've heard whispers that tracts of National parks might be sold or leased to private companies (unconfirmed). We may yet be tenants in our own country. Hmm, that will never happen.

[Stropp]

yep even in my industry, wood heaters are all heading off shore due to the likes of bunnings and masters, the manufacturers here cannot compete and you can still reduce the price of the chinese version of the heater by $300 per unit and make the same sort of money against the aussie version. Its sad times for us when we rely on overseas companies to manufacture all our goods, also our vegies and fruit, seafood even tho caught here is cheaper to send os and back for processing.

[ova50]

The flow on effects may be enormous.

For the old guys here, think back at some great Aussie companies that are either non-existent or now owned by a foriegn company.
The younger guys, hell, I think you guys can name plenty of companies that have gone the same way in the past few years.

Our manufacturing industry has been allowed to erode away.
Has it reached the stage where it cant be resurected, who knows, but its not looking good.

Manufacturing gone, trades gone, exports gone, jobs gone. Future ?????.

Edit: Wonder how long it will take for the government of the day to increase vehicle tariffs when everyone has to buy imports?

[Avo]

I was listening to the ABC southwest the other day while travelling to the big smoke and there maybe hope for holden yet,Apparently some well to do business men have put there thoughts forward on acquiring Holden,The Brand,the complex the plans everything they were so to speak,talking figures around 750 mill..be interesting to see if it goes ahead.Still only in the talk stages as yet of course.

[Wine_maker]

May be situation is not so bad as it can seems.

There is example from Russia. There are a few big Chinese car producers who bought already closed car plants and began to produce Chinese cars LIFAN, BYD etc.
I don't talk about quality, safety or engineering of this cars, only about working places for people.

Or another example from Russia. When things goes wrong, the Renault-Nissan Company bought the big piece of the biggest Russian car plant - AutoVAZ. And now, Lada Niva is already a little bit Nissan too lol.

So big market as Australian can not be vacant for a long time. But, if it will, government will compensate unreceived taxes by cars and car parts import taxes.

[gaddy]

I think if they actually built a quality car that the market wanted they would survive , I have had company cars most of my working life and the commodores and falcons while good for the first 50 000 always started to develop rattles and issues there after , at the moment I am drving a i30 hyuandi wagon done a 120 000 in two years no rattling squeaks , the only issue been a split air conditioning hose ,

[PMC]

Folks it its less than 70 years since the end of World War 2. One of the main reasons why the Germans and the Japanese were so successful were there industrial capabilities.

What saved the allies was its ability to mass produce armaments and various other equipment from its industrial complexes. ie manufacturing facilities, (Automobile, Component plants, steel works and Textiles etc etc.)

A nation that does not have the ability to make armaments quickly are doomed and ripe for conquest by enemy aggressor.

During World War 2 we had the ability to convert our manufacturing industry over to make armaments quickly. The English had to rely on the Americans to ship supplies to them or they would have fallen to the German army. The amount of merchant seaman that lost there lives in those Atlantic convoys were horrific.

We are Farkkked as a nation if we loose all of our manufacturing capabilities, when this occurs then we too will be ripe for conquest by a potential enemy aggressor.

PS, Australia relies heavily on its alliance with its allies for additional protection, lets hope for our sake that we maintain those allegiances with our allies.

Regards,

RLI

[SonOf]

Know doubt I will be touching on points that will invite harsh conjecture but I think we need to really look at our economy, lack of Government support for local industry, research & development and also the wages we are paying out in some areas.

I had no issue with an introduction of a mining tax etc but the way the last one was implemented just meant the companies cried like babies while writing off assets to minimise its impact until a change of Govt. Australia has good supplies of product that is anted by other countries and even with taxes they will buy it, it is only the off shore companies that cry poor. There are other places where they are taxed huge percentages yet there are the same companies mining away.

Neither Government has really backed local invention/development to a degree that is sustainable to the industry. The most advanced solar designs that are being made in Chine were developed here but without backing from our Govt the guy went back to China! Seen it in military hardware as well in the past. If my memory is correct didn't Holden first implement rack & pinion steering well before GM etc had thought of it.

The other day there was a laborers role going in a big construction job within the mining industry that was paying $182k, Sorry but that is BS big time. I am not leaving out some exec jobs either, there are plenty of roles out there paying sums that far exceed the what really is needed. Don't get me wrong, I believe in being paid well for what we do but there is limit surely?

I was in the hardware the other day, local one neither of the big chains and was looking for some ply wood. It was cheaper by a significant amount to buy imported marine ply that it was to by standard construction ply that was made here ??? Living in Tassie we have all the crud around the timber industry etc but no one has addressed what we could do value add the industry with regards to milling etc all they go on about is cutting and sending to china to be refined and then imported.

Anyway I am ranting too much but it is a sad time to see our industries etc fall over and the sell off of land etc to outside interests for short term profits etc.

[Wine_maker]

Know doubt I will be touching on points that will invite harsh conjecture but I think we need to really look at our economy, lack of Government support for local industry, research & development and also the wages we are paying out in some areas.

I had no issue with an introduction of a mining tax etc but the way the last one was implemented just meant the companies cried like babies while writing off assets to minimise its impact until a change of Govt. Australia has good supplies of product that is anted by other countries and even with taxes they will buy it, it is only the off shore companies that cry poor. There are other places where they are taxed huge percentages yet there are the same companies mining away.

Neither Government has really backed local invention/development to a degree that is sustainable to the industry. The most advanced solar designs that are being made in Chine were developed here but without backing from our Govt the guy went back to China! Seen it in military hardware as well in the past. If my memory is correct didn't Holden first implement rack & pinion steering well before GM etc had thought of it.

The other day there was a laborers role going in a big construction job within the mining industry that was paying $182k, Sorry but that is BS big time. I am not leaving out some exec jobs either, there are plenty of roles out there paying sums that far exceed the what really is needed. Don't get me wrong, I believe in being paid well for what we do but there is limit surely?

I was in the hardware the other day, local one neither of the big chains and was looking for some ply wood. It was cheaper by a significant amount to buy imported marine ply that it was to by standard construction ply that was made here ??? Living in Tassie we have all the crud around the timber industry etc but no one has addressed what we could do value add the industry with regards to milling etc all they go on about is cutting and sending to china to be refined and then imported.

Anyway I am ranting too much but it is a sad time to see our industries etc fall over and the sell off of land etc to outside interests for short term profits etc.

The most dangerous thing in this situation is that we are all (AU, RUS, USA, etc.) give our newest technologies to China as a gifts. The technologies is the most important thing for producers. Technologies are reducing the production price of finished goods.
To invent any technology you must spend a lot of time and money. And then, China's producers say to you - ok, give it to me and I will produce cheep but high quality goods for you, using your technology. And you know, that if you produce something here it will be much more expensive than produced and imported from China. And you agree with their offer, its economically reasonably. But later, if you will break your relationship with them, they will use your technology anyway. And this will be good for their economy and their efficiency.
For them, costs of new technologies is 0$ and 0 cents.

"It's bad for ya!" - George Carlin.

[tallman]

I will be losing my job in a few months due to the vegetable processing company I work for in Bathurst NSW is downsizing big time and I would not be surprised if they shut up shop completely within a couple of years. The aussie dollar and imports are killing us, so much for free trade.

[Wine_maker]

Wow. Today, our local currency tenge is fall -23% to USD.

The whole country became poor on 23% .

Bad news.

[Drewboyaus]

Normally I fully respect AB's request for no swearing (sorry Andy) but I simply can not in this case.
THIS IS A F***ING NATIONAL DISGRACE!
This will destroy Victoria and South Australia for decades. 40,000 jobs at risk........40 f***ing thousand!
We are barely six months into this Government and I don't give a flying f**k what anyone says about about the Labor party but these Liberal pricks have bent us over in Victoria and shoved the pineapple right up out arse.
An absolute disgrace.
I am still shaking with anger every time I am reminded of this!
Ask folks who worked for Mitsubishi how they're going now working bullshit security jobs rather than the skilled kind they were doing.
I simply can't put into words how mad I am and how despicable I find the weasel words from our nations leadership (if that is what you call it).

[growler2058]

Normally I fully respect AB's request for no swearing (sorry Andy) but I simply can not in this case.
THIS IS A F***ING NATIONAL DISGRACE!
This will destroy Victoria and South Australia for decades. 40,000 jobs at risk........40 f***ing thousand!
We are barely six months into this Government and I don't give a flying f**k what anyone says about about the Labor party but these Liberal pricks have bent us over in Victoria and shoved the pineapple right up out arse.
An absolute disgrace.
I am still shaking with anger every time I am reminded of this!
Ask folks who worked for Mitsubishi how they're going now working bullshit security jobs rather than the skilled kind they were doing.
I simply can't put into words how mad I am and how despicable I find the weasel words from our nations leadership (if that is what you call it).

Maaaaaate I'm not gunna get political (forum rules) But as long as Asia has cheap labour that's where manufacturing will occur. No government can fubar an industry in 6mths the writing has been in the wall for manufacturing for a loooooooong time


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[Drewboyaus]

Maaaaaate I'm not gunna get political (forum rules) But as long as Asia has cheap labour that's where manufacturing will occur. No government can fubar an industry in 6mths the writing has been in the wall for manufacturing for a loooooooong time


Sent from my iPhone using Motorculture mobile app

I know mate(in deflated resignation). The real killer of our car industry has been the systematic reduction of import tariffs combined with the cheaper labor overseas. I'm all for free trade and free enterprise but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to maintain what I think is an important industry in this country.

[growler2058]

I know mate(in deflated resignation). The real killer of our car industry has been the systematic reduction of import tariffs combined with the cheaper labor overseas. I'm all for free trade and free enterprise but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to maintain what I think is an important industry in this country.

Your right it's a sh1t situation to be in. I love Holden not GM and think of ALL the great Aussie companies that have gone forever is tragic. We managed to save Spring Gully here in SA but that's as rare as rocking horse sh!t. What do we do? I dunno? They even wanna bring "fresh" fruit n veg ( yeah right) in from China. Now in my opinion that's a F@RKN OUTRAGE


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[Drewboyaus]

So some forkin old bag lady of a Liberal senator bloody stands up in parliament today and f*cking pontificated that "no job is better than an unsustainable job".
For real? You f*cking b!tch, go down to Altona and tell that to the poor workforce at Toyota.......I'd pay to watch that!

[Bob]

So some forkin old bag lady of a Liberal senator bloody stands up in parliament today and f*cking pontificated that "no job is better than an unsustainable job".
For real? You f*cking b!tch, go down to Altona and tell that to the poor workforce at Toyota.......I'd pay to watch that!

Well Drew you have lost me as you cant even express an opinion without resorting to Swearing.

[liftlid]

Well Drew you have lost me as you cant even express an opinion without resorting to Swearing.

That's not fair as growlers post above the one you quoted also had swearing but you did not have a go at him!!

[TPC]

I don't think throwing money at the car industry was ever going to keep it running, they tried that with Mitsubishi and they still closed, and as the GM boss said "no amount of government money was going to save them, even the so-called “blank cheque” offered by the Labor Government in the final days of the last Federal election".

I also do not believe it mattered what political party was inn mattered, when Mitsubishi closed we had Labour in power in SA and nationally.

It is unfortunate that we just cannot compete with the cheep labour rates in countries like China and Korea.

[SonOf]

So some forkin old bag lady of a Liberal senator bloody stands up in parliament today and f*cking pontificated that "no job is better than an unsustainable job".
For real? You f*cking b!tch, go down to Altona and tell that to the poor workforce at Toyota.......I'd pay to watch that!

Sounds like they took a note out of the PM's book after GM closed when he stated that the "workers had been liberated" not sure how un-employment is liberated but hey.

You have to wonder what is wrong with how our economy works when you see farmers dumping crops as it is cheaper than sending to market, yet we are importing the same shite from elsewhere or the recent comments by one union mob that we should follow the US model and sell all our farms to the large conglomerates and then our farmers can lease what used to be there land to work for someone instead of themselves.

There is a fundamental flaw in the way the economy works in that we are told to spend up in the shops as retail is doing it hard, we spend up and then get hit with higher interest rates as more imports are coming in due to the increased spending so we slow our spending to the cries of the retailers!! Then companies here start closing so all these people are unemployed in a time when work is hard to find. We see hardship rise with higher rates on mortgages and lower employment. The Govt of the day (no matter the party) notes too many people on unemployment benefits so we will review that to see if we can get some back from these people who cannot find work and round and round.

I honestly do not have the answer but I definitely think there is something to be said about looking inside first to find the fundamental issue then go from there.

[Drewboyaus]

Well Drew you have lost me as you cant even express an opinion without resorting to Swearing.

Bob, I express plenty of opinions without resorting to swearing. I do it every day for my job.
It is a measure of my rage at the effect this will have on the people of this state and the complete filth that dribbles from the mouths of politicians who want to sink the boot in while hardworking Australians are on the mat.
I did include a warning in my first post on the subject too.
I assume then you have never sworn in anger in your life?

[Bob]

Bob, I express plenty of opinions without resorting to swearing. I do it every day for my job.
It is a measure of my rage at the effect this will have on the people of this state and the complete filth that dribbles from the mouths of politicians who want to sink the boot in while hardworking Australians are on the mat.
I did include a warning in my first post on the subject too.
I assume then you have never sworn in anger in your life?

Drew I do not wish to enter into a slanging match with you as I am quite sure your Rage is genuine and your posts were made with that in mind.

I have sworn in Anger in my Life but extremely rarely in the presence of Women or on a Public Forum.

It would probably be in our best interests that we put this behind us.

[Drewboyaus]

It would probably be in our best interests that we put this behind us.

I am in furious agreement. :-)

[liftlid]

Alcoa just announced they are closing another 1000+ jobs gone this year

[Drewboyaus]

I hope someone in Canberra or Spring St. has a plan......l forking doubt it though.....
It sounds all la-di-da to crap on about the "new" economy, high tech jobs and the like but what does a former Ford or Alcoa process worker re-train as? A Bioscientist? I don't bloody think so.
Yes, there is a generation of highly technology literate workers coming through but it looks for all the world like we are about to chuck a whole lot of generation x manufacturing workers on the scrap heap. I'm a big believer in progress and new industries, it's just that nobody has been planning for this day!
Victoria will take decades to recover from this. Just look at Michigan to check out what's in the pipeline for us.

[liftlid]

We need to train the kids for the industries we can sell overseas in the future.
At the moment they are still training people for jobs that will be gone in 4 years!

[MudRunnerTD]

So Geelong has lost

FORD Motor Company

SHELL Refinery

ALCOA Smelter

ALCOA Power Station

For those that dont know Geelong the list above is a list of the Primary Heavy industry that generations of this town have worked at. These industries have supported multiple generations of the same families. Ford for Life. ALCOA For Life. Shell For Life. once you get a job in one of these you work to retirement. School Leavers aimed for the recruitment programs of these companies, the smartest went to Shell.

This is a Very big deal for Geelong. a number of other large firms are here Because of these industries. Pilkington Glass supply Ford and will be under some pressure now also.

Package this in with the rest of the State with the likes of Holden and SPC and Victoria is in BIG TROUBLE and without a miracle investment Geelong is in the Toilet.

No Doubt the long termers at the above plants will get exceptional redundancy packages. Many of the Over 50s may never be employed again though!

This will lead to some very worrying times economically in Geelong, in my work i note that there is not allot of money in Geelong and my business does not do big business here as a result. Not much New money. Property prices will flat line or retract (Likely) and it will be a very hard slog in this little town (read City!)

[MudRunnerTD]

And so its official. Shell Site in Geelong has been sold and the buyer will CLOSE the Site to make Australia more dependant on its Middle East Oil Supply Network

.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/shell-sells-local-assets-for-24bn-report (http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/shell-sells-local-assets-for-24bn-report/story-e6frg9df-1226831483268)

[Drewboyaus]

And so its official. Shell Site in Geelong has been sold and the buyer will CLOSE the Site to make Australia more dependant on its Middle East Oil Supply Network

.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/shell-sells-local-assets-for-24bn-report (http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/shell-sells-local-assets-for-24bn-report/story-e6frg9df-1226831483268)

I'm never quite sure why that behaviour isn't considered anti-competitive......

[liftlid]

Just came over radio that shells new owners will keep plant open, I hope it's true